I bought those tiny sample bottles from amazon.com, because the regular bottle was quite expensive. I'm one of those people that if a product works really well for me, I will spend some money to keep in my lifestyle. Before investing $200 on it, I wanted to try a mini version. Thank God, I did. I know alot of people believe in the "purging" effect, but after having a horrible time last year struggling with cystic acne, I do not believe in that theory. It took me half a year to maintain a consistent skincare routine....and find out what my skin liked and didn't like after going through such skin catastrophe. It was an extremely difficult journey, but I managed to figure out how to clear my skin without antibiotics or birth control. I wanted to do it the natural way, without harming my body.

Now...my skin gets really dry during the winter time. And I've read numerous reviews about Sk-ii restoring your natural skin balance and getting rid of those dry flakes on your skin. Some of my favorite youtubers have raved about this bottle and how it made their oily t-zone into a normal skin type. When I heard that, I was astounded and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. However, I waited a year and finally gave in and tried the sample bottle. I actually threw it away 4-5 days using the product when I realized I was breaking out in random pimples. As I stated before, I do not believe in the purging effect. I can't imagine what my skin would look like right now if I used it for two weeks. I think I literally saved my skin into turning into a pimple warzone. In the first two days of using Sk-ii, I noticed that my skin was looking more "radiant." I definitely understood why people were liking the product, because it provided a "glow" that I didn't have. However, that effect was short-lived, since I threw away the product after getting breakouts.

Ladies & gentleman (I'm sure there's some men out there reading these reviews as well), "dull-looking skin" is better than having acne. I would rather get my dry flakes any day than get random pimples on my face. I highly regret the decision on purchasing this product. It definitely made my skin more sensitive than it actually is. Even though I have been using the same skincare routine as I did when I cleared up my skin, it doesn't work as great now....And i seriously think it's because of Sk-ii.

If a routine is working for you and it's not breaking you out, DO NOT CHANGE IT. There will always be products, especially in our generation, where it will always claim to be the "new best thing." It's always going to happen, because we live in a society where they will come up with products that will claim to make your skin "better." Perfectionism will never be attainable, and sadly... I thought it would be attainable if I got my hands on Sk-ii. I thought, "I just have a little bit of red marks left from my previous acne....if Sk-ii could fix that, my skin would be perfect." Now, I'm trying to make my skin normal again, which is taking forever......

This essence works for me, and the results are enhanced when I use it with the Facial Treatment Repair C serum. I pat it with my hands onto my face, just a small amount, and I do try and take a break from it for a short while, so I use it every two days. My concern is that my skin will become sensitized to it if I use it too often. I`ve only noticed the unpleasant odor some people here mentioned after 2 months into my first bottle. Probably it reacts to something in the air once it`s been opened a few times and it gets that nasty saliva smell. Yes, it was nasty enough to make me throw away the rest of the bottle. Still, I`m on my third bottle now and I love the results.

I read a lot of reviews before deciding to spend so much money for this item. I have a very oily T-zone and very large pores specially on my forehead so I am on the hunt d=for something to help my pores. I have been using this product for six months now and I do not feel that it did anything special for my face. I am 39 yrs old with no wrinkles yet, I used this twice a day but after six month my pores and oily T-zone is the same. I won't be purchasing again, too expensive for the results I got.

I have been using this essence on and off for 7 years and I like it. I think it keeps my skin moist. It doesn't help with acne brown marks though.However, recently it causes big red bumps on my face. Maybe because my skin is thinner and more sensitive now as I get older. I have stopped using it as it takes a long time for the red bumps to disappear. The toner does not cause red bumps even though I have been using the toner on and off for 8 years. It appears that my thinner and sensitive skin can't tolerate too much Pitera now.

Cons: - The smell, some people cannot take it- the bottle packaging. Now I love glass bottle packaging but when it come to travel it consider heavy- pricey, will really consider first before I buy it again. Try to look for something similar to this.

I have been using SKII Treatement Essense for the past year and have repurchased it twice already. I can't believe I didn't review this earlier. This is a wonderful miracle in a bottle product and worth the hype and the money. It helps restore hydration while helping it heal, soothe, and prevent any signs of aging on my skin. I just feel that this product makes all other products applied thereafter perform 200% times better. I use this as the first thing prior to my toner (some days I skip the toner if i'm too tired) and then moisturizer. I don't use this in the morning beacuse let's face it girls I'm not a hollywood star and do have limited resources but to be honest, this is so potent that you don't need to use it in the morning as at night time your skin is working at its best thus most beneficial to use it at night time. I love this product and will repurchase again.

I have been using SKII Facial Treatment Essence for approximately 3 months. I spent some time overseas and found this was the "holy grail" of asian cosmetics. The SKII line, itself, is quite pricey but I am willing to spend the money to invest in the health and beauty of my skin and body.

The Essence is a liquid placed on the face after cleansing and before serums and moisturizers. The purpose is to loosen the top layer of the skin so serums and moisturizers can penetrate deeper, maximizing their effects. Consider it a "turbo booster" for your regime. I recommend placing a few drops in the palm of your hand and then lightly rubbing your hands together to get them wet. Once wet, pat the liquid on your face. This allows the most product to get on your face while wasting very little (avoid cotton balls!).

Be warned, Essence has a slight sent of sake and for good reason. It is 90% pitera, which is a nutrient packed yeast found in sake. Most of SKII's products use pitera. After about 2 minutes, I apply my serums and moisturizers.

After about 3 months, I am halfway through the large bottle I purchased. I suffer from hyperpigmentation and my scarring has significantly diminished. For the first time in almost 10 years, I am comfortable walking out of my home without makeup. My skin has a nice dewy glow (which I attribute to my overall regiment-but Essence definitely played a part).

Packaging wise, the Essence comes in a pretty glass bottle. This makes it a little cumbersome to pack in my suitcase but it looks great on my bathroom counter. The lettering is simple. My friends that do not know the brand are immediately intrigued.

Price wise, the SKII brand, as a whole is expensive. I use several of their products together and I get many compliments for my fresh face. If you have the funds and want to invest in good skin care, of all of the SKII products, this is the one I would definitely add to my routine.

I've been using this product for almost 9 months and I really love how my skin looks and feels now. It took me a really long and hard road before my skin-face finally makes me happy.

I was using a doctor-recipe skin care series for a year before I used Facial Treatment Essence. I was so satisfy with my skin tone and texture at that time. It took only 3 weeks until my skin is what I think "perfect". I continued using it for a year after. My skin was ceramic-white, no visible pores, no blackheads, and no acne at all. I started to wonder how this doctor-recipe was so magical. I searched on Google and surprised with my searching. My magical skin is a result of a skin care products that contain mercury and hydroquinone. I discontinued of using the products immediately. My skin face started to look dull and feel oily. My acnes are all broke out. I started to find another doctor-recipe skin care which I believe was safer than the one I used before. My skin was getting worse instead. I suffer from this for about 4 months before I decided to give FTE a try.

I buy the trial beginner set which contain Facial Treatment Clear Lotion and this magical water FTE. I didn't feel any improvement in my skin during the first 4 months. My acnes won't calm down. It went crazier every day. I was so desperate. Lots of article said that adjustment period take 2 weeks at most. During the first 2 weeks of using FTE, skin will purge as a form of detoxification. If skin is not getting better after 2 weeks, user should stop using the products and seek assistance. That was what I read. But somehow I kept using the products. My skin is getting better during the 5th months. It started to show a little improvement. The texture, the tone, the radiances of my skin is slowly getting better and better every day until today. Along with any other SKII series, I can say that I am satisfy with my skin. I still had the acne popping out once or twice in a month which is totally normal.

Now I really like the fact that my skin is so soft, supple, and healthy. I still can see the spots from the broke out acne though. I just need to give my skin time to heal itself with the help of SKII products.

For me, healthy skin is a must! Don't get fooled by the instant result of a skin care treatment. And for anyone who think that FTE is not the right products for you only after 2 weeks of trying, I think you need to give your skin some times purify itself from whatever skincare products you used before.

I had and will repurchase the products. It cost around US$130 for the 215 ml/7.2 oz and last for about 5 months for me (I'm a clumsy user. I spilled it out too much, ouch!). It worth the money! The packaging is average. I think Lancome products have better packaging. But it doesn't matter. I like how they design the cap with the silver color. The whole 7.2 oz bottle is too heavy for traveling package though. Overall, this products suit my skin type very well.

I never tried this product as I'd heard mixed reviews of it, and I only use 1 serum at night which keeps my skin very nice, so I never saw the need to try this.

But I received 2 small sample bottles recently and I apply it before my serum at night. Surprisingly, after 2 days, I did notice my skin looking nicer, and a bit brighter and softer! I wouldn't consider it a fantastic product, but it's decent. I will probably buy it again, since I have so little skincare products.

Sometimes I pat it on with my hands, sometimes I smooth it on with a cotton bud. I feel like u'd probably get more benefits by patting it on, but somehow smoothing it on feels nicer. :)

I saw some people wrote it gave them breakouts, but I haven't had any such problems. I've used it for about 10 days already and haven't had a single zit. In fact, it's supposed to have an exfoliating effect and is very light so I don't understand why people would get breakouts from it.

I wasn't sure about this toner initially. A friend recommended this to me. I was put off by the price tag and got my first bottle when I was waiting for my plane at a foreign airport and had some spare cash left in local currency. I just thought why not have a go.

Pros:- Hydrates my skin very well- I quite like the smell, though it smells a bit like alcohol but the product is actually alcohol free - improves my skin tone- didn't irritate my skin at all- skin is calm and refreshed after using- people commented on improvement in my skin condition

Cons:- Very expensive, better get it when there's some discount- Harrods sometimes do 30% or 10% off- smell could put some people off